Replying to the Swamy: Hindutva, Brahminism and the Dalit Question,

Muslims and Islamophobia26 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComReplying to the Swamy: Hindutva, Brahminism and the Dalit QuestionBy Yoginder Sikand, NewAgeIslam.comSome weeks ago, Subramanian Swamy, President of the Janata Party and former Union Cabinet Minister of Commerce, Law and Justice, created a major stir by publishing what was widely denounced as a hard-hitting anti-Muslim article in a leading daily newspaper. The media was agog for a while with news about the story, and an irate National Commission for Minorities even threatened to take Swamy to court for it. However, the controversy appeared to have died soon out thereafter.http://www.newageislam.com/muslims-and-islamophobia/replying-to-the-swamy--hindutva,-brahminism-and-the-dalit-question-/d/5324...

Karachi Burning, Islam and Sectarianism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Sectarianism26 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComKarachi BurningBy Najam SethiAug. 26, 2011OVER 400 people have been killed in gang and party political warfare in Karachi in the last two months. No permanent end to the senseless violence is in sight because of several factors.The three- way struggle for turf and power in Karachi among the PPP, MQM and ANP overlaps with violent gang wars among the criminal drug, extortion, arms and land- grab mafias that have come to dominate the underworld of Karachi and established quid pro quo links with each of the three parties. The problem is that the PPP government is helpless to establish law and order because it cannot afford to launch any serious and sustained “clean- up” operation that targets and antagonises its provincial coalition partners whose...

The Ideology Of Thought Control In Pakistan, The War within Islam, NewAgeIslam.com

The War within Islam17 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComThe Ideology Of Thought Control In PakistanBy Maheen Usmani1 Aug. 2011 Denial is not just a river in Egypt. It has become something of a personality cult in Pakistan. Nowhere is this cognitive dissonance more visible than amongst the educated who refuse to accept facts and logic, clinging instead to a neurotic persecution complex.Columnist Khaled Ahmed says: “The vast majority of literate Pakistanis take comfort in ignorance, skepticism and conspiracy theories. The self-glorification of an imagined past matched by habits of national denial have assumed crisis proportions today when Pakistan’s existence is under far more serious threat from fellow Muslims than it was in 1947 from rival non Muslim communities.” What lies beneath this inability...

टीम अन्ना और देश के मुसलमान, Hindi Section,

Hindi Section26 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Comटीम अन्ना और देश के मुसलमानअसगर वजाहतदेश में लोकतंत्र होने का पूरा लाभ देश के अल्पसंख्यकों को मिलता है, इसलिए अल्पसंख्यकों का फर्ज है कि वे देश में लोकतांत्रिक और विकास केंद्रित आंदोलनों में शामिल हों। अण्णा हजारे के कहने पर उनकी टीम के अरविन्द केजरीवाल और किरण बेदी प्रमुख मुस्लिम नेताओं से समर्थन प्राप्त करने के लिए दिल्ली की जमा मस्जिद के शाही इमाम सैयद अहमद बुखारी, जमाते इस्लामी हिंद, ऑल इंडिया इमाम आर्गेनाइजेशन,दारुल उलूम देवबंद के नेताओं से मिले जिन्होंने विभिन्ना कारणों से भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ अण्णा आंदोलन को समर्थन देने से मना कर दिया।http://www.newageislam.com/hindi-section/टीम-अन्ना-और-देश-के-मुसलमान/d/5333...

From Crime and Drug Addiction to Love of Books: Sudhir Sharma finds Refuge in Azamgarh, Islam and Pluralism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Pluralism26 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComFrom Crime and Drug Addiction to Love of Books: Sudhir Sharma finds Refuge in AzamgarhBy Adab Nawaz, NewAgeIslam.com 26 August 2011Azamgarh: Sri Ramanand Saraswati Pustakalaya (SRSP) sits on a high plinth, overlooking green paddy fields and a swollen Ghaghra river. Mainly housing tomes in Hindi, SRSP is pride of Jokahra, a dusty village in Azamgarh, a district in UP with abysmally low literacy rate but high incidents of crime. It faces serious charges of nurturing several alleged terrorists, including Abu Salem. But more than the library, it's the librarain who is a centre of attraction for many.http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-pluralism/from-crime-and-drug-addiction-to-love-of-books--sudhir-sharma-finds-refuge-in-azamgarh-/d/5331...

The Ideology Of Thought Control In Pakistan, The War within Islam, NewAgeIslam.com

The War within Islam17 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComThe Ideology Of Thought Control In PakistanBy Maheen Usmani1 Aug. 2011 Denial is not just a river in Egypt. It has become something of a personality cult in Pakistan. Nowhere is this cognitive dissonance more visible than amongst the educated who refuse to accept facts and logic, clinging instead to a neurotic persecution complex.Columnist Khaled Ahmed says: “The vast majority of literate Pakistanis take comfort in ignorance, skepticism and conspiracy theories. The self-glorification of an imagined past matched by habits of national denial have assumed crisis proportions today when Pakistan’s existence is under far more serious threat from fellow Muslims than it was in 1947 from rival non Muslim communities.” What lies beneath this inability...

Karachi Burning, Islam and Sectarianism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Sectarianism26 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComKarachi BurningBy Najam SethiAug. 26, 2011OVER 400 people have been killed in gang and party political warfare in Karachi in the last two months. No permanent end to the senseless violence is in sight because of several factors.The three- way struggle for turf and power in Karachi among the PPP, MQM and ANP overlaps with violent gang wars among the criminal drug, extortion, arms and land- grab mafias that have come to dominate the underworld of Karachi and established quid pro quo links with each of the three parties. The problem is that the PPP government is helpless to establish law and order because it cannot afford to launch any serious and sustained “clean- up” operation that targets and antagonises its provincial coalition partners whose...

Faizabad's last rites performer doesn't worry about religion of the dead, Islam and Pluralism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Pluralism22 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComFaizabad's last rites performer doesn't worry about religion of the deadAdab Nawaz, NewAgeIslam.com23 Aug. 2011A few kilometres before it reaches the holy city of Ayodhya, the ancient river Saryu bypasses Faizabad, founded by the Awadh Nawab Shujaudaullah who also made it the province’s capital. Today Faizabad neither has Ayodhya’s aura or its festering religious controversy nor Lucknow’s political skulduggery to keep it in national conscience. Shorn of the two popular kinds of mahants—the pious shloka-chanting and the rabidly communal trishul-weilding—and bands of raucous and rapacious politicians, Faizabad desperately seeks attention.http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-pluralism/faizabad-s-last-rites-performer-doesn-t-worry-about-religion-of-the-dead/d/5301...

रोज़ा यानी सब्र का इम्तेहान, Hindi Section, NewAgeIslam.com

Hindi Section26 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Comरोज़ा यानी सब्र का इम्तेहानकमाल अहमद रूमीइस्लाम धर्म में अल्लाह ने अपने बंदों पर कुल पांच चीजें फ़र्ज़ (अनिवार्य) की हैं-कलमा, नमाज़, रोज़ा, हज और ज़क़ात। इन पांच चीजों में रोज़ा यानी रमज़ान बहुत अहम स्थान रखता है। इस्लामी कैलेंडर वर्ष का नौवां महीना रमज़ान है. इस महीने में हर मुसलमान के लिए अल्लाह ने 30 रोज़े फ़र्ज़ किए हैं।http://www.newageislam.com/hindi-section/रोज़ा-यानी-सब्र-का-इम्तेहान/d/5332...

The British Need Human Rights as much as Do Libyans, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West29 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComThe British Need Human Rights as much as Do LibyansBy Nick CleggDeputy Prime Minister of United Kingdom25 August 2011While British governments have called for greater human rights abroad, they have too often belittled them at home.Libya stands on the brink of a new future, one that holds out the promise of democracy and freedom after 40 years of oppression. One of the most important tasks facing the interim government is the prevention of reprisals. That is why David Cameron and I have urged the National Transitional Council to exercise restraint and respect for human rights.http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-the-west/the-british-need-human-rights-as-much-as-do-libyans/d/5348...

Pakistan: In Search of A Hazare, Current affairs, NewAgeIslam.com

Current affairs25 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComPakistan: In Search of A HazareBy Shahzad ChaudhryAugust 23, 2011I have often urged us, as a nation, to look beyond the distortions in our ideological foundations and carve a newer identity, more in line with the needs of the 21st century. Also, that it is okay for a nation to be seen evolving with time, maturing both its moorings as well as its promise. Ideological anchoring need not be based on religion alone. Each era must of essence have newer ideals and aspirations for a nation.The world has moved on from deep ideological associations in the political or the economic sense and has gradually evolved towards a more pragmatic, global cosmopolitan culture. There is now a wider definition of an ‘international’ character in all things — political,...

Feminism, Colonialism and Islamophobia: Treacherous Sympathy with Muslim Women, Islam, Women and Feminism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam, Women and Feminism25 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComFeminism, Colonialism and Islamophobia: Treacherous Sympathy with Muslim WomenBy Leila AhmedAug 23, 2011 Ever since the attacks of 9/11, feminists in the West have increasingly used the theme of the oppression of women in Islam as justification for war and domination. This strategy of using this rhetoric of “saving the women” in the name of “civilization” is an old ploy used many times in the past by Western imperialists, writes Leila Ahmed.http://www.newageislam.com/islam,-women-and-feminism/feminism,-colonialism-and-islamophobia--treacherous-sympathy-with-muslim-women/d/5319...

Growth of Islamistan in Europe means No-Go Zones for Non-Muslims

Islam and the West25 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComGrowth of Islamistan in Europe means No-Go Zones for Non-MuslimsBy Soeren Kern August 23rd 2011Islamic extremists are stepping up the creation of "no-go" areas in European cities that are off-limits to non-Muslims.Many of the "no-go" zones function as microstates governed by Islamic Shariah law. Host-country authorities effectively have lost control in these areas and in many instances are unable to provide even basic public aid such as police, fire fighting and ambulance services.http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-the-west/growth-of-islamistan-in-europe-means-no-go-zones-for-non-muslims/d/5320...

Libya: End is Welcome, but Doesn't Justify the Means, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West25 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComLibya: End is Welcome, but Doesn't Justify the MeansBy Simon JenkinsWe may all applaud Qadhafi’s downfall, but it remains the case that Britain's intervention in Libya was wrong.The downfall of a dictator is always welcome. Especially welcome is the downfall of Qadhafi of Libya. He was not the worst of his genre, but for 42 years was the beneficiary of the crassest western intervention, veering between ineffective sanctions and ostracism and Tony Blair's cringing, oil-drenched “friendship.” More welcome still would have been his downfall clearly at the hands of his own people, not courtesy of western armies.http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-the-west/libya--end-is-welcome,-but-doesn-t-justify-the-means/d/5317...

Pakistan's Urdu media and the bigotry and fanaticism in the society, Urdu Section, NewAgeIslam.com

Urdu Section20 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComPakistan's Urdu media and the bigotry and fanaticism in the societyBy Dr.Ghazala Afaque Quazi14 Aug. 2011Who is responsible for the bias and narrow-mindedness in the society? If they talk of beheading their opponents on petty issues, who has given them the training? The limitation of the media that they can raise only a few issues can be understood but at least they can refrain from making provocative statements for cheap popularity and adopt a soft stand. They should set a standard of their newspapers that instead of provoking the sentiments of anger and grief, they express their opinions with seriousness.Source: Urdu Daily, Hamara Akhbar, KarachiURL: http://www.newageislam.com/urdu-section/پاکستان-کا-اُردو-میڈیا-/d/5289...

Well Said Nawaz Sharif, well done SAFMA, Islam and the Media, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the Media26 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComWell Said Nawaz Sharif, well done SAFMABy Dr Mohammad TaqiThe security establishment frets that a strong politician from Punjab, who always had the wherewithal to cut them down to size, has been consistently expressing his will to do so too“Your Excellency doesn’t understand. A man is a Punjabi or Bengali before he is a Hindu or a Muslim. They share a common history, language, culture and economy. You must not divide them. You will cause endless bloodshed and trouble” — Quaid-e-Azam to Lord Mountbatten.http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-the-media/well-said-nawaz-sharif,-well-done-safma-/d/5329...

India-Bangladesh Relations: Much-awaited Visit, Current affairs, NewAgeIslam.com

Current affairs27 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComIndia-Bangladesh Relations: Much-awaited VisitBy Akmal HussainThe foreign policy of Bangladesh is very much characterised by its focus on the biggest neighbour India not only due to geographic location but also because of history, economic compulsions and security imperatives. But during the last four decades Bangladesh-India relations have progressed along a zigzag line. Bangladesh has sometimes come closer to India or maintained a distance, depending on the political preferences of the governing regimes.http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/india-bangladesh-relations--much-awaited-visit/d/5338...

Islamist Terrorism Hurts the Palestinian Cause: Nabil Shaath, Radical Islamism & Jihad, NewAgeIslam.com

Radical Islamism & Jihad24 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComIslamist Terrorism Hurts the Palestinian Cause: Nabil ShaathBy New Age Islam News Bureau New Delhi: Urging Muslims to turn to terrorism to avenge the oppression of Palestinians helps only in undermining the cause of Palestinian statehood, senior Palestinian Authority (PA) member Nabil Shaath says.“Terrorism is opposite to the aspirations of a liberation struggle. No one benefits from it. Let’s separate terrorism from the struggle to achieve liberation,” Shaath, a former acting prime minister of Palestine, said at a seminar in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, on Tuesday.He said he was in the US after the 9/11 attacks. “I felt we will pay a heavy price for (Al Qaeda leader Osama) bin Laden’s actions. And we did.”http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/india-bangladesh-relations--much-awaited-visit/d/5338...

Current affairs 24 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com Why Are the Real Victims of India's Corrupt System Not Enthusiastic About Anna’s Movement? By Bhanwar Megwanshi (Translated from Hindi by Yoginder Sikand, NewAgeIslam.com) Anna Hazare’s ‘anti-corruption’ has received considerable support across the country. The ‘mainstream’ media is awash with stories about Anna and his fast. It is as if there is nothing else happening in India that is worth reporting about. But, at the same time as the media is busy projecting Anna and his movement, a vast section of India’s population—the country’s Dalits, Adivasis and religious minorities, who are at the bottom of India’s social pyramid and who suffer the most at the hands of the corrupt system that Anna and his supporters are supposedly denouncing—have...

RELIGION, RADICALISM AND PEACE, Islam and Pluralism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Pluralism24 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComRELIGION, RADICALISM AND PEACEBy Asghar Ali Engineer What happened the other day in Norway has not only shocked the world but also raised some important question. Does religion stand for peace or for murder? One thing is sure after 9/11 only Islam was being blamed for violence, war and jihad. Now it is obvious that such maniacs who go on killing spree are found in all religious traditions and even in highly developed nations. It is not only ‘backward Arabs’ or ‘fanatical Islamists’ who kill but even Christians from highly developed and democratic nations who kill innocent people.http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-pluralism/religion,-radicalism-and-peace-/d/5...

European intellectuals should stop tolerating inflammatory political rhetoric like the conspiracy theory of Eurabia, Islam and the West

Islam and the West22 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComEuropean intellectuals should stop tolerating inflammatory political rhetoric like the conspiracy theory of EurabiaBy Bushra Ishaq20 Aug 2011In the wake of the terrorism and mass murder in Norway on 22/7 many people have struggled to understand what the incident means. The terrorist justified his acts with a hatred of Islam and condemnation of the Norwegian government for accommodating Muslims. The attacks targeted the very idea which lies at the core of our country’s multicultural society. In his 1,500 page manifesto, Anders Breivik expresses his desire for “genuine Europeans” to defeat multicultural society and to “cleanse” the continent of Muslims. He emphasises the myth of Eurabia – the conspiracy...

Teaching Islam in German Schools: Religion Must Not Be Regarded as an Integration Problem

Islam and the West24 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComTeaching Islam in German Schools: Religion Must Not Be Regarded as an Integration ProblemBy Nimet SekerIf it wants to be authentic and relevant to practice, religious education along denominational lines should not become an instrument of integration and should take the expectations of Muslims seriously. Islamic education in mosques is often based on learning by heart and reflection on ethical and spiritual matters are often not given sufficient attention.The introduction of Islamic education is already a done deal in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. Starting next year, Islamic education will be part of the regular curriculum. Currently, some 700,000 children from Muslim families go to school in Germany – until now they have not had access...

The Truth about the Situation in Libya: Cutting through Government Propaganda and Media Lies, Islam and the Media, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the Media25 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComThe Truth about the Situation in Libya: Cutting through Government Propaganda and Media LiesBy Brian BeckerLibya is a small country of just over 6 million people but it possesses the largest oil reserves in all of Africa. The oil produced there is especially coveted because of its particularly high quality.The Air Force of the United States along with Britain and France has carried out 7,459 bombing attacks since March 19. Britain, France and the United States sent special operation ground forces and commando units to direct the military operations of the so-called rebel fighters – it is a NATO- led army in the field.The troops may be disaffected Libyans but the operation is under the control and direction of NATO commanders and western commando...

Kudos and Condemnation for SAFMA, Islam and the Media, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the Media26 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComKudos and Condemnation for SAFMABy Kamran ShafiWHAT else this week but loud applause for Nawaz Sharif for so courageously advocating peace with India at a recently held seminar ‘Building bridges in the subcontinent’ in Lahore?And utter condemnation for a private TV channel’s vitriolic host and her hate-filled red-capped guest who is known to be a propagandist of the Deep State, for their shrill and nasty attacks upon the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) that arranged the seminar, generally, and Mr Sharif particularly, merely because he held out the hand of friendship to India?http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-the-media/kudos-and-condemnation-for-safma/d/5327...

Inside Syria's Failed Rebellion, Islam and Politics, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Politics26 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComInside Syria's Failed RebellionBy Praveen SwamiPresident Bashar al-Assad's government has imposed order — but is yet to slay the three-headed dragon which threatens its survival.Thick black lines had been scored over the graffiti under the cherubic image of President Bashar al-Assad that guards the road into Hama{minute}a. The military's clean-up squad had been less than diligent though: the word kalib, dog, survived the paint-brush censorship, and the soldiers had forgotten to have the President's gouged-out eyes repainted.Inside the city, the rebels had left behind evidence no amount of paint could obscure: the burned-down military officers' mess on the Ard al-Khadra street, which mobs stormed in the hope of seizing weapons; the gutted office...

Pakistan’s surreal Urdu media — II, Islam and the Media, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the Media23 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComPakistan’s surreal Urdu media — IIBy Aakar PatelMay 26, 2011 More than newspapers, news television knows the popular mind. This is because it responds to daily ratings and can calibrate pitch and tone accordingly. What appears on their television should worry secular Pakistanis. In what other nation would Zaid Hamid be an analyst? Let’s have a look at the roster of Pakistan’s other television stars. Kamran Khan is first-rate, easily the best TV journalist in Pakistan. He got nothing from US Ambassador Cameron Munter after Osama’s killing, but not for want of trying. He’s an excellent questioner and a good listener. His interview with Ishrat Husain went farther than anything before it in explaining Pakistan’s economic condition. Rahimullah Yusufzai...

PTV’s ‘Jihadi Plays’ Help Army to Maintain Control over Society, The War within Islam, NewAgeIslam.com

The War within Islam23 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComPTV’s ‘Jihadi Plays’ Help Army to Maintain Control over SocietyFarooq Sulehria in an interview with Ayesha Siddiqa19 Aug 2010 Lollywood is no different from the rest of the society. There has been an increasing radicalization of the society which is reflected in the cinema as well. Lollywood is more influenced because of the socioeconomic class. The lower-middle and middle classes reflect a bias for the Islamiscts.Ayesha Siddiqa is an independent social scientist with expertise in civil-military relations and political-economy. She has a doctorate in War Studies from King's College, London. She has authored two books on the military and Pakistani politics. Her book ‘Military Inc.’ was banned under the Musharraf dictatorship. She was the first...

Ramadan Fast for Swami Agnivesh, Lord Meghnad Desai,

Islamic Culture23 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComRamadan Fast for Swami Agnivesh, Lord Meghnad DesaiBy Saeed Naqvi19 Aug 2010 A youth and children ride a scooter near the Jama Masjid during Iftar on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in New Delhi last week.It was an extraordinary group of five that turned up at Delhi's Jama Masjid at 3.30 a.m. last week for saheri, or the last meal before the day's fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Saheri derives from saher, which means dawn.Only those in the vicinity of mosques make it a congregational affair. And when the mosque happens to be one of the world's great monuments, Jama Masjid, people sometimes travel long distances to participate in this remarkable confluence of faith and aesthetics. http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-culture/ramadan-fast-for-swami-agnivesh,-lord-meghnad-desai/d/5308...

How Repentance pays Off: The Quranic Concept of Taubah is a Highly Personal Act, Islam and Spiritualism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Spiritualism23 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComHow Repentance pays Off: The Quranic Concept of Taubah is a Highly Personal ActBy Khwaja Mohammad Zubair10 August 2011Indeed, it is more than an act. It reflects a moment of decision when one makes up one’s mind to give up a course of action and simultaneously adopt another course.Taubah is not merely the negation of the past; it is essentially a contract with the future. Taubah is personal in that no one else needs to know about it.http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-spiritualism/how-repentance-pays-off--the-quranic-concept-of-taubah-is-a-highly-personal-act/d/5307...

Quran does not Preach Terrorism, Islam and Tolerance, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Tolerance14 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.ComQuran does not Preach TerrorismBy Mufti Md Zahid Qamarul Qasmi(Translated from Urdu By New Age Islam Edit DesK)The most painful aspect of the age in which the Holy Quran was revealed was lawlessness, chaos and bloodshed. The extent of lawlessness can be gauged by the fact that no legal government existed in the Arab peninsula. The governments that existed around Arab believed in ethnic superiority and inferiority and it is impossible for the establishment of justice in a human society that is based on superiority and inferiority by birth. The revelation of the last book of God, the holy Quran began in such an atmosphere. The first verse that was revealed sang the glory of knowledge and the pen.http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-tolerance/quran-does-not-preach-terrorism/d/5251...